David Micheluzzi admitted being on the bubble has been playing on his mind in recent weeks, but he is keen to look up and not down after a strong start to the Genesis Championship.
Micheluzzi began the week in 108th position in the 2025 Race to Dubai Rankings, where the top 115 will earn their DP World Tour cards for next season.
The tournament at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club is the final event on the Back 9 to secure playing privileges for the 2026 DP World Tour, however, Micheluzzi climbed up the leaderboard to put any lingering doubts behind him.
He opened up with a tap-in birdie before going birdie-bogey-birdie from the sixth to reach the turn in 34.
A bogey at 11th saw him slip back, but he instantly responded with a brace of gains - the latter being a hole-out from the greenside bunker - before closing his first round with a birdie to sit two off leading pair Haotong Li and MK Kim at four under in Cheonan.
Players in the top 70 at the end of this week will extend their season at next month's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, something the 29-year-old Australian is targeting.
"Nerve-wracking, let's just say that, with all the Race to Dubai stuff, it's on your mind 24/7, even when you sleep," Micheluzzi admitted.
"I birdied the first, which that tee-shot kind of scares me at the moment a little bit and I was nervous, nervous as hell. Just put a good golf swing on it and it went a long down there and hit it to a foot, which is obviously very nice to settle the nerves down a little bit.
"I played really solid. I only hit one really bad shot on seven into the water, but then almost holed my third shot from the drop so it's nice, and it's also nice to finish with a birdie as well.
"It's never easy. I've been thinking about it for the last couple of weeks just because I've not been playing the best golf, the results just haven't been there.
"I've just got to play my game. I've been trying to be too perfect and I've just got to scrap it around and scoring is my strongest part of my game, so I felt like I did that today with some decent ball-striking which is nice.
"There's always pressure and with crowds and all that sort of stuff, I want to be just left alone. But sometimes it's nice because it makes you switch on and go 'alright, let's hit some good golf shots', that's all that matters.
"Good day tomorrow and see what happens, and try to get into Abu Dhabi because that is even still on the table. I don't want to think about being 116, but try and get in the top 70, why not!"
